(19)
(11) EP 0 361 393 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
24.10.1990 Bulletin 1990/43

(43) Date of publication A2:
04.04.1990 Bulletin 1990/14

(21) Application number: 89117753.7

(22) Date of filing: 26.09.1989
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)5: B41J 2/165
(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE FR GB NL

(30) Priority: 26.09.1988 US 249066

(71) Applicant: TEKTRONIX, INC.
Beaverton Oregon 97077 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Oswald, James C.
    Beaverton Oregon 97005 (US)
  • Anderson, Jeffrey J.
    Camas Washington 98607 (US)
  • Deur, Ted E.
    Aloha Oregon 97006 (US)

(74) Representative: Liesegang, Roland, Dr.-Ing. 
FORRESTER & BOEHMERT Franz-Joseph-Strasse 38
80801 München
80801 München (DE)


(56) References cited: : 
   
       


    (54) Method and apparatus for cleaning a printer head


    (57) An ink jet print head face cleaner (10) provides a controlled air passageway (22) through an enclosure formed against the print face (12a). Air is directed through an inlet into a cavity in a body (14). The body has a face with an opening into the cavity (28). This face is sealingly placeable against the print face. The cavity has a limited size so that air is directed without interruption through the cavity past the ink jet apertures, and out an outlet. The cleaner body (10) is coupled resiliently to a platform (46) to allow positioning of the body and print faces flush with each other. A vacuum source is preferably attached to the outlet to create a subatmospheric pressure in the cavity to further seal the two faces together. A collection chamber and removable drawer (76) are positioned below the outlet to facilitate disposing of removed ink.







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